The Body Sculpting Bible for Women

Rating:
Summary: This Is By Far The Best Women's Fitness Book Out There!
Review: I just had the pleasure of reading The Body Sculpting Bible For Women and must say that I am extremely satisfied! What I liked most about the book was the innovative programs, techniques and ideas that the authors have created.

One of the biggest problems that I face and notice others facing has to do with sticking to a fitness regime. This book has the cure for lost drive and motivation. This is someting that I have not seen anywhere else, period!

The exercise descriptions alone are worth their weight in gold. With pin point accuracy, I have been 100% successful in isolating specific muscles and getting the exact result that I was shooting for. When I first read about the Zone Tone technique in the book, I was not quite sure how this would work for me. Not to say that it was bad, just foreign. It turns out that the Zone Tone Technique is perhaps the most powerful tool that I have ever utilized for exercising. Please refrain from taking this with a grain of salt because it is AMAZING!

I read the last review from a gentleman named Jason and he mentioned something about similar information being found in the women's and men's versions of the book and that it was poorly edited. Although Jason did mention some of the very positive attributes in the book, he should then realize that it shouldn't matter if the information in both books is similar, what matters is that the information works!
I can tell you that it does just that!

With all of that said, I highly recommend The Body Sculpting Bible For Women to any women looking for the most complete, comprehensive and refreshing fitness book available!

Rating:
Summary: Not specifically written for women.
Review: I purchased this book for my girlfriend and I must say that I am not completely satisfied. The book claims to be written specifically for women, but it is really just a modified version of the authors' Body Sculpting Bible for Men. The problem is not that the plan is not tailored for women--it's a decent plan for women to follow. The problem is that the book is poorly edited and much of the material is simply transferred from the men's version and you wonder if some of it is supposed to be there or not. For example, the authors say to avoid alcohol and tobacco because it lowers testosterone levels. I know women do have some testosterone in their bodies, so maybe the authors left this in on purpose. However, it is questionable because the wording of this section is exactly the same as it is in the men's version and in another part of the book the authors say that women don't have to worry about getting bulky because women don't have as much testosterone as men. I think they would have done better to have mentioned breast cancer or other potential health risks as reasons for avoiding tobacco and alcohol. Also, there may be two entire workout plans missing from this book. Towards the end of the book, there are descriptions of the different exercise plans that follow and it says that there are two break-in plans, two 14-day workout plans, and two advanced 14-day workout plans. The book says, "you will notice that we present two 14-Day Body Sculpting Workouts. the first routine assumes the only equipment available to you is a pair of dumbbells. The second routine assumes that you also have access to an adjustable exercise bench with a leg curl/leg extension attachment." However, for both the 14-day workout and the advanced 14-day workout, there is only one plan. The others appear to be missing. How vexing! This book has many similar discrepancies and unfortunately it undermines my confidence in the plan.

Aside from the poor editing, there are some aspects of the book that I appreciate. There is nothing gimmicky about the program. Unlike so many other books for women on the market, it doesn't try to sugar coat the fat-loss process. The authors do not insult the reader's intelligence by suggesting that there is any miracle diet or gadget that will magically dissolve their excess fat. They clearly state that proper nutrition, exercise, and rest are the only keys to reshaping one's body.

Also, I must say the book is very thorough. For example, the chapter on training covers everything from choosing the best time to work out to work out clothing to muscle soreness and overtraining. The exercise descriptions in this book are clear and detailed, with step-by-step instructions. Also, I should note the exercise descriptions are different than the ones in the men's book. So, at least this is a section that they paid close attention to. Probably the best thing that can be said for this book is that it will give some structure to your training.

However, I think this book encourages women to overtrain and it also assumes that all women have the same goals. They should have included more workout plans with varying levels of intensity. There's no flexibility whatsoever. Also, the sample diets are horrid. They tell you at one point in the book that you don't have to count calories because they have several sample diets mapped out for you in the appendix. But that is total BS, because these diets consist of only three meals: 1.) Protein shake consisting of skim milk, banana, and whey protein. 2.) Chicken breast, white rice, green beans. 3). Tuna fish, baked potato, broccoli, flax seed oil. All meals on the diet are repeats of those three. I guess that's great if you're only going to eat these 3 meals for the rest of your life. To be fair, they do have some good tools to help you with nutrition. For example, they have a list of items which are acceptable to purchase at the grocery store and a chart showing the amount of protein, carbs, and fat in different foods. Also, I like the idea of having one "cheat" meal each week to help you cope with the nutrition plan psychologically. Another good idea is each night to mark a calendar with a forward slash if you followed the nutrition plan and with a back slash if you trained.

The pictures in this book are very good and the models are attractive, which is rare. Another good feature of this book is that in the Table of Contents, they highlight the sections that are essential to read before you start training.

I suppose that this book could help motivate some women to start training who otherwise might not be convinced to lift weights. However, now that I am more experienced myself, I have become wary of the high volume approach advocated by this book. I also regret that it was not edited more precisely and wish that the authors had spent more time making this a book specifically for women.

I'll add that it's difficult to accept nutrition advice from two guys who claim to have suffered from eating disorders in the past and who basically treat themselves like human guinea pigs. This book heavily promotes unnecessary supplements.

The Body Sculpting Bible for Women isn't a great book, but it's better than Sculpting Her Body Perfect.

Rating:
Summary: The Bible Sculpting Book For Women
Review: It is refreshing to finally read a book written by two professinal men who were not always perfect. Their personal accounts of struggle gives us all hope and inspiration. The book is very easy to understand and follow.I sincerely hope that Mr. Villepigue and Mr. Rivera make an appearance on the Opra show so that her audience can also benefit from their experience, knowledge and guidance.

Rating:
Summary: The Body sculpting Bible for Men
Review: I've read many books on men's health as well as exercise books. Usually I never get through them or what they instructing is virtually impossible to do. Most times they are written for the most advanced body builder and do not take into consideration what the reader needs or wants. Finally a book that does. I read a copy that a friend of mine has and can't wait to get my own. It's interesting and walks you through all the different exercises in a language that is easy to understand. Thankyou to James Villepigue and Hugo Rivera for writing such great books.

Rating:
Summary: Body Sculpting Bible for Women
Review: Being one who has involved themselves with fitness and self motivation for many years, I find this book to be nothing less than superb. It is high spirited, easy reading compatible for all who may be interested in sculpting their body to a lean and defined state. I have begun a way of life including a positive and uplifting daily routine. The Body Sculpting Bible can easily become anyone's fitness guide.

Rating:
Summary: Just what I was looking for!
Review: I am a 23 years old and wanted a book to help me get in better shape. This book has it all...not only the exercises and workout plans but the diet and motivation part too. I think the authors did a great thing with this book by putting so much useful information into such a readable format. I look ahead to GREAT results and FINALLY having the body I've wanted. Thanks.

Rating:
Summary: fit-mom
Review: I initially checked out this book from the library but was so impressed that I had to buy my own copy. I saw more results in six weeks using this book than I had after weight training for a year. I've learned to work smarter not harder using the workouts oultined in the book. I also recommend it because the workouts can be done at home with little equipment (just a set of dumbbells) which is great if you have a little one at home and can't get to the gym.

Rating:
Summary: The absolute BEST!!!!
Review: I am a fitness instructor of several years, and despite countless attempts of advice from my own supervisors I found the BSB. I started with the Body Sculpting Workout #2 and was able to see results in the first 6 weeks. I have continued the program several times over and have graduated on to the Body Definition Workout, also in the BSB. When I started I was 130lbs. and had 24% body fat. I now weigh 105lbs. and have 11% body fat and I have maintained that very easily just by doing what I have learned in the book. Not only have I expirienced great success with it, it has been a useful research tool for my job. Anyone that says this program doesn't work obviously didn't follow it very well. It takes great determination and hard work to succeed in the gym-the BSB just makes that time a little more efficient for those of us that don't have all day to work out. The bottom line is this- if you are serious about wanting results and have the drive and motivation to get in there and do it, then the program works. I guarantee it. I've seen major results in myself and friends. Trust me, the program works because I do it and I know. This is the best workout program for the beginner or advanced fitness buff! Go for it! You won't be dissappointed!

Rating:
Summary: Good workouts, ok nutrition advice
Review: This is a great book! Even after working out for a year, and reading everything form Body for Life and the Pilates Body Book, this book is one of my favorite. Covers really basic topics and gives no-nonsense advice for those who think they know everything, but are lacking some common sense, especially in areas of aerobic training and muscle recovery, the only problem is that the nutrition advice is a little too "one size fits all".

Some points to remember:
*Great book if you DO NOT have access to a gym. You WILL need to get a set of dumbells for the first 6 weeks of workouts, a bench (or step) to use as a bench would help, but is not necessary. Come on ladies, get some real weights for real results, not those 3 pound dumbells that we have been doing aerobics with!
*The second set of 6 week workouts assumes you have a bench, with a leg attachment. If not, just do the first set of 6 week exercises over and over.
*the nutrition section is not for everyone. They advocate a diet, that I would not follow, and that has not worked for me in the past. It may work for some, however, NO book can give a one-size-fits-all diet solution!
* The chapter on training is worth the book alone.
*Great descriptions of proper form for doing the exercises.
*Don't be scared of weight training!

You can download free workout journal pages for this book and the men's version from the website listed on the back of the book: bodysculpting bible dot com , which will get you to journal download link under "free downloads"


Rating:
Summary: A Good Read BUT An Impractical Program
Review: I highly recommend this book as an educational tool for women who believe that pure aerobics and lifting 5 pound dumbbells will get them the body they desire. However, I do not recommend strictly following the program endorsed in this book, for several reasons which I will explain later.

This book is a total fitness and diet program, it tells you what exercises to do, and what to eat. There is nothing revolutionary about this program. Essentially, it is what bodybuilder's do and eat to prepare for competitions, but it is water downed for the bodysculpting market. The differences between bodybuilding and bodysculpting are subtle, both focus on building muscle and lowering body fat percentages, however, in body sculpting there is less emphasis on building mass. The author's themselves are both personal trainers, one is a competitive bodybuilder and the other is the owner of a gym, both are men whose full time job is to develop their muscles, and because of this the program lacks practicality and sensitivity to women.

The book has many merits, which are:

This book explains why weight training is superior to pure aerobics;

The weight lifting exercises are explained superbly in detailed words and pictures;

This book explains why what you eat and when you eat it can make or break your gains;

The book explains the concept of exercise and caloric plateaus and how to avoid them;

And the book has several flaws, which many of the other reviewer's have pointed out. Many reviewers' feel that this program is too hard on the body, the caloric intake is too low and those six days in the gym puts you at risk for overtraining. These are debatable topics in the fitness world. If you are excellent shape to begin with, have the determination and the free time to perform this program, it is doable. But if you are new to weight training, than you risk injury on this program and you will find yourself starved for food.

Here are some of the other flaws in the book:

There are too many sets and exercises for one muscle group, this is great if you are a bodybuilder, but not necessary for the average woman;

There is too much emphasis on the lower body, women should be encouraged to work out the upper and lower body equally;

The diet plan is unimaginative, bland and confusing unless you are extremely knowledgeable about nutrition (it was written by men);

The plan is very detailed, and the novice can feel overwhelmed and confused by all of the information;

The book is written in a way that if you don't follow the concepts laid out in the book in the exact way they are written, you will fail to make any gains;

The program demands six days in the gym, and to be successful they encourage early morning workouts for part of it. This is just not practical for any woman who has 1) a full time job, 2) a job with a long commute, 3) a husband, and 4) children. The author's full time job is to build their bodies, and so they can spend hours in the gym, most women don't have that luxury;

They don't really address the issues of nursing, pregnancy or the effects that menstruation have on a women's body;

Finally, the book tells you that you can visit the getfitnow.com forum to ask the author's questions. The author's are rarely there. But, if you want to see how confusing most people find this program to be, by all means check the forum out.

In summary, I do encourage women to read this book, and to learn the tips and tricks that bodybuilder's use to fine tune their bodies. And I take my hat off to the author's for empowering women to lift weights and not waste their time on the unchallenging exercise programs that are often given to women.

But following it strictly is a risky for those out of shape, and not practical for the busy women. If you have the free time to follow the program, have a basic understanding of anatomy and nutrition, than this program can be tweaked for personal use. If you find the information confusing and overwhelming I suggest buying the Idiot's Guide to Weight Training to read in conjunction with this book. If you are the type of women who has been lifting for years, than you might gain a few tips to help you.